Adam Hastings time at Gloucester came to an end with a disappointing 36-22 defeat in the Challenge Cup Final against Sharks.
Sharks made history by becoming the first South African side to win a European competition.
The Sharks victory means they will qualify for the Champions Cup despite finishing outside the top eight in the URC, and they then take the final spot from the league.
But for Hastings and Scotland team-mate Chris Harris it was a frustrating night at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as Sharks dominated the scoreboard from the early stages and ran out comfortable winners.
It’s been a frustrating season overall for Gloucester with them finishing second bottom of the Premiership but their European run had been a pleasant change from the form shown in the league.
Sharks did have Scottish representation too with Dylan Richardson among the replacements. He was capped once by Scotland back in 2021 as a hooker but is now playing in the back row for Sharks and was a second half replacement for them on the night.
Hastings will leave Gloucester and make a return to Edinburgh for next season and he will play in the Champions Cup even if his old team won’t after losing out in the final.
Siya Masuku played a vital role with his kicking for Sharks and scoring 21 points on the night to add to tries from Phepsi Buthelezi, Aphelele Fassi and Makazole Mapimpi.
It was a dominant showing from Sharks and they’ll take the Challenge Cup back to the Rainbow Nation becoming the first team from there to win it since they were allowed to join European competitions.
Sharks are another team who struggled throughout their league campaign and finished well away from the play-offs in the URC but have been excellent on the European stage, including beating Edinburgh in the quarter-finals.
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